Khordha: A day after a doctor and nurse were allegedly assaulted by irate relatives of a patient over ambulance delay and vandalised the hospital in Odisha’s Khordha district, police have arrested one person in this connection. The accused was identified as the patient’s son Rashmiranjan Jena who is BJD youth president of Turintira panchayat and also the prime accused. He along with a few other relatives reportedly wrecked the hospital after abusing and beating up the hospital staff.
As per reports, one Mahendra Jena (52) of Turintira village was admitted to Balipatna Community Health Centre (CHC) due to respiratory illness. As he was critical, doctor referred him to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. But his family took him home. Late in the night, Jena’s condition deteriorated and he was once again taken to the CHC at around 12 am where the doctor once again asked his kin to shift him to Capital Hospital. Dr M Shankar Panda, who was on duty, even made arrangements for the ambulance.
However, the ambulance did not reach on time triggering a heated argument between the patient’s kin and the hospital staff.
The accused along with four to five other relatives, allegedly barged into the doctor’s chamber and abused him. When other staff intervened, they abused them too and beat them up including a nurse. They then went on to vandalise the hospital while the patient was lying on a stretcher outside. As the chaos ensued, other patients got petrified and some of them even shifted to Balakati hospital.
“I had checked the patient already but the family members called me again to examine him. When I went, they started beating me and the nurse present with me. Some of them went ahead and started breaking medical equipment and other infrastructure and destroyed the entire space. Its unfortunate that we doctors spend sleepless nights to look after patients only to get beaten up in return. There’s no security for us,” said Dr M Shankar Panda.
The staff nurse too alleged that she was assaulted over ambulance delay. “The patient’s kin came and charged at me as the ambulance had not arrived. I asked them to enquire at the control room but they got furious and attacked us and vandalised the hospital,” she added.
Meanwhile, hospital authorities filed a complaint at Balipatna police station on direction of medical officer Srikant Behera. Before the cops could reach, the accused family members had fled the spot.
However, police informed that they are scanning CCTV footage and the accused have been identified.
Following the incident, hospital staff demanded security and a police outpost on the premises.
